Chapter Twenty-Three

Will Drops A Bombshell

Friday, December 23

"Will!"

He jumped. "There's no need to shout."

Becca glanced at him in the rearview mirror. "There is when I've said your name three times. Can you drag your mind away from your boyfriend for a second? We're stopping at the next rest area."

"Fine," he replied absently.

"Besides, it won't be long now until you see him in the flesh." She grinned. "Which has to be better than the hours of video calls I'm sure you two have shared."

Will had been strict during the last week while the exams took place. He'd limited himself to one call before he turned out the light.

Okay, so each call lasted at least an hour. Sleep was for the weak anyway.

"Will, are you okay?" Kristen asked from the passenger seat. "You've been so quiet."

"Just got a lot on my mind, that's all."

"Lighten up, why don't you? Exams are over—well, until May—and it's almost Christmas." Becca chuckled. "Plus, there's a certain nerd waiting for you in Milwaukee."

Aiden had been in Will's thoughts a lot during the past ten days, especially after Will's tutor had met with him to discuss Will's plans for after graduation.

The conversation had provided a cold dash of reality, and Will had been forced to consider the situation without the lens of his feelings for Aiden.

What do I do?

Will had known all his life what his future would look like—he hadn't counted on meeting someone who would turn those plans upside down.

I was happy with casual. I'd have stayed happy with casual.

Aiden wasn't casual. Aiden was permanent with a capital P. At least, Will had wanted him to be—until he put aside such selfish thoughts.

"Will, if you don't stop being such a grumpy bastard, I may have to kill you," Becca groused.

"I'm not grumpy," he retorted. "Just… thoughtful."

"Yeah, I can hear the cogs whirring from here. Okay then, be thoughtful—but by the time we reach Milwaukee, I wanna see you smiling. You got that?"

"I've got it."

The last thing Will wanted to do was spoil Christmas, so he figured he'd keep his thoughts to himself.

Aiden doesn't have to know .

The quiet voice in the back of his mind piped up.

But he'll have to, eventually.

Will would deal with that when it happened.

"For God's sake, Aiden, will you stop staring out the window?" Mom grumbled. "It won't make them get here any faster."

"I think it's sweet," Dad commented. "I remember when you used to wait at the window for me to get home. Then Becca came along, and I was replaced."

Aiden was about to retort that he hadn't been sweet since he was seven years old, when a car pulled into the curb.

"They're here!" He grabbed the coat he'd put over the back of the armchair, struggled into it, and made a beeline for the front door.

"Don't run!" Mom admonished. "You'll only slip and break something, and that'll be Christmas ruined."

She cares about me.

Then Dad yelled, "And she's talking about the display, in case you missed that part."

Well fuck. Feeling the love here.

Aiden hurried down the path to where Will, Kristen and Becca took bags from the trunk.

God, he looks good. He was also wearing Aiden's scarf.

"Hey," Becca said with a smile. "How—"

Aiden threw his arms around Will and kissed him on the lips.

"Yeah, good to see you too, Aiden," Becca muttered. "Yes, this is Kristen. Nice of you to give her such a warm welcome."

Kristen chuckled. "You were just the same when you got back the last time. Leave them alone."

Aiden pressed his forehead to Will's. "I've missed you," he whispered.

"Missed you too."

Aiden straightened, grabbed Will's bag, and then held out his hand for Kristen's. "Hello." He gave her a smile. "Glad you could be here." He led the way to the house, the others trailing behind him.

"Sure, I'll carry my own bag," Becca murmured.

"And you called Will grumpy," Kristen said, chuckling.

They went inside, and Aiden ignored the introductions to take Will's hand in his. "Don't get comfortable. You won't be staying here. You're gonna sleep at my place."

Becca snorted. "Sleep. Riiight ."

Mom glared at her. "You can take Kristen's bag to the guest room."

She laughed. "I don't think so."

Mom put her hands on her hips, and Aiden had to smile. She and Becca are so alike.

"Young lady, if you think I'm going to let you—"

Dad laid a gentle hand on Mom's arm. "I know she's still your baby, but she's been living her own life for nearly three years now. Do you really want her miserable throughout the holidays?" His eyes twinkled. "Besides, what makes you think they'd stay in their own rooms? What are you going to do—set booby traps outside their doors?" He gave her a meaningful stare, then his eyes went wide. "Holy crap. You would! C'mon, do you really think Aiden is offering to put Will up to create more space here?"

Will's face flushed, and Mom blinked rapidly.

"Dinner will be in about an hour," she said, a little croak in her voice.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Kristen offered.

Mom beamed. "I was just about to prepare the vegetables. Come into the kitchen."

Aiden snickered. "You wait. The kitchen door will close, and the dinner won't be the only thing getting grilled."

Becca gasped. "Wait for me," she called out. "I can help too."

From the kitchen, Aiden caught his mom's comment. "Well, that only took twenty-two years."

Dad had his back to Aiden and Will, but it was obvious he was laughing his ass off.

Will gazed at his surroundings, frowning. "I don't get it. We put up a ton of stuff outside, but there's still no tree in here." He glanced at Aiden. "You don't do Christmas trees?"

Aiden laughed. "Are you kidding? In this family? The reason there's no tree yet is because of tradition." There were colored and white lights dripping from any surface that would accommodate them: along the shelves of the bookcases, draped over picture frames, around door frames… Aiden pointed to the space in the corner next to the couch. "It'll go there. It's still standing in the garage, trussed up like a turkey."

"Christmas Eve is when we trim the tree," Dad told him. "It's also tradition that it's the one night of the holidays when Lou doesn't do any cooking. We leave that to our kids."

Will's lips twitched. "Please, tell me it's going to be edible."

Dad chuckled. "You can let me know tomorrow night— you'll be helping prepare the meal."

Will regarded Aiden with arched eyebrows. "Thanks for the warning."

Aiden had had enough small talk.

He took Will by the hand and led him into the dining room, out of earshot.

"You don't know how happy I am to see you." He leaned in and whispered, "I'll show you exactly how happy tonight." Then it dawned on him that Will was way too quiet. "Those two wore you out on the drive here, I bet. You look tired."

"A little, yes."

Aiden slipped his arms around Will's waist. "I bet you're relieved the exams are over. You said they went well, though." He kissed him, a lingering press of lips, breathing him in. "Only five more months, and that's you done—for a while, at any rate."

"That's something we need to talk about."

"Can it wait? I mean, it isn't urgent, right?"

Will gave a tired smile. "I guess not."

"Then prepare yourself for the ordeal to come."

He gave Aiden a quizzical glance. "What ordeal?"

Aiden grinned. "It even has a name. It's called ‘Mom's eggnog.'"

"Where's Will?" Becca asked.

"Talking to his parents." Aiden glanced up at the ceiling. "I told him to use my old room. He said he wouldn't be long." He grinned, inclining his head toward the kitchen. "Sounds as if Kristen and Mom are hitting it off. I've never heard Mom laugh so much."

"I know, right?" Becca shook her head. "I went looking for them earlier and I found them in Mom's craft room. You will never believe what they were doing."

"Something crafty?" he suggested.

"She was showing Kristen her bags of yarn." Becca stared at him with wide eyes. " Yarn , for God's sake. And Kristen doesn't even knit."

Aiden smiled. "She doesn't now , you mean. She might be bitten by the bug by the time you all leave." He gave an evil grin. "Just think. It'll start as a bag of yarn, then it'll become a drawer. Then a chest. And finally a whole room, just for her craft supplies. Imported bamboo knitting needles, steel ones, laminated birch ones… The list is endless."

Becca eyed him. "You started knitting, didn't you?"

Aiden coughed. "Sorry, forget I said anything."

Becca's snort told him she wasn't about to forget that bit. And she's got Mom's memory, dammit.

He folded his hands behind his head. "I didn't see this coming. You with a girlfriend, me with a boyfriend, Mom and Dad ecstatic about the situation…"

Becca's gaze took on this look he'd never seen before. It was…softer, a kind expression, her eyes filled with warmth.

So this is Becca in love.

He had to admit, it suited her.

The door opened, and Dad came in, carrying a tray laden with glasses.

"Get it while it's hot."

Aiden sniffed. "You made mulled wine." He beamed. "Perfect."

"Don't I make it every Christmas?" He raised his voice. "Will you two stop jawing and get in here? And Will? Where are you?"

There was the thud of feet on the stairs, and Will appeared in the doorway. He sniffed. "Oh wow. That smells good."

Dad waited until everyone was present before handing round the glasses. He raised his.

"A toast. To family."

"To family." The sound of clinking glasses filled the air. Aiden sipped the wine, loving the hint of cinnamon, cloves, and orange.

Becca returned to her sprawled position on the couch. " Now it feels like Christmas."

"What about my eggnog?" Mom demanded.

That triggered an eruption of coughing.

"Delicious, as always," Dad said quickly.

" That was the word I was looking for," Aiden added just as fast. "I knew it began with a D."

"My money was on deadly," Becca muttered.

Mom narrowed her gaze. "You know, if you don't like it, you should really let me know. Because if you don't, you're going to be drinking it every Christmas until the Rapture." She gave Dad a sweet smile.

"You know what?" He kissed her on the cheek. "It wouldn't be Christmas without it."

"I was going to wait until Christmas Day," Kristen began. "But I can't wait that long." She put her glass down on the side table, then walked over to where Becca sat. Kristen removed a small heart-shaped box from her jeans pocket, and Becca bolted upright in a heartbeat.

"Oh my God."

Kristen opened it and held it out to Becca. Inside was nestled a black ring that caught the light. "I was going to do this on your birthday, but you were already engaged at the time." She chuckled. "But now you're a single woman again…. Becca Taylor, will you marry me?"

Becca swallowed. "God, yes."

Kristen took the ring from its box. "I know engagement rings are supposed to be diamonds, but—"

"Stop right there." Becca held her breath as Kristen slid it onto her finger. "That is freaking perfect . If I was gonna choose a ring, this would be it." She stood, flinging her arms around Kristen, and they kissed. Becca's eyes glistened, and Aiden felt tears prick the corners of his eyes.

"Oh my God." Mom was crying, and Dad already had his phone out, taking photos. Will was grinning like a loon. Then everything dissolved into one giant hug fest before Dad disappeared into the kitchen, with a shout of "This calls for champagne!"

"We don't have any," Mom hollered after him. "But there's a bottle of Prosecco in the fridge door."

"Good enough."

By the time everyone had a tall glass of bubbling wine, Becca and Mom had stopped crying, although Kristen hadn't stopped smiling, and Dad hadn't stopped taking pictures.

"So when are you thinking of getting married?" Mom asked.

Becca gaped at her. "Mom. She only proposed ten minutes ago."

Mom fixed her with a hard stare. "And as you now know, weddings take a lot of planning. So…?"

Kristen nudged Becca. "How about July? Of course, we'll have just graduated, we won't have anywhere to live, and as for jobs…" She laughed. "This is crazy. I can't believe we're even talking about this."

"I know," Becca said, her eyes shining. "Let's do it anyway. July is a long way off. Who knows what will happen by then?" She glanced at Mom, who'd grabbed her phone. "Mom? What are you doing?"

"Calling the hotel, of course. Keep your fingers crossed."

"We don't want a big room," Becca said quickly.

"Smart move, just rolling over and going with the flow," Dad murmured. "You're finally learning the number one Taylor rule when it comes to your mom."

"What's that?" Will asked.

Dad grinned. "To quote the Vogons, ‘Resistance is useless.'"

"Like you said, July is a long way off. Who knows what will happen by then?" Mom's eyes sparkled, and she gave Aiden and Will an inquiring glance as she headed for the door.

It didn't take a genius to know what was on her mind. She said as much, didn't she?

Aiden speared her with a look. "Mom? Don't even think about it."

"Think about what?" she asked, pausing at the door, her eyes wide.

"Mom, you really can't do innocent." Before he could add anything, she'd left the room. Aiden shook his head. "You wait. The next thing she comes out with will be ‘So Aiden, why don't you and Will make it a double wedding?'"

Becca burst out laughing. "Oh my God, you nailed her."

Even Dad was laughing. "That was really good, son."

Then Aiden caught sight of Will's face, and his stomach clenched.

Something was wrong.

"Hey, what's up? It was a joke."

Will grabbed his hand. "Can we go somewhere a bit quieter and talk?"

"Sure. Let's go to my old room." He led Will up the stairs, his heart racing. Once inside the room, he closed the door behind them. "Just so you know? I'm not about to propose, if that's what's panicking you. Mom's just being Mom, that's all."

Will sat on the bed. "Look, I've been thinking a lot about this since I saw you last, and…"

Ice etched its way over Aiden's skin. "Thought a lot about what, exactly?" He joined Will on the bed.

Will studied the red rug. "When I was eight years old, I told my parents I wanted a job with NASA when I grew up."

"I know you said it was your dream."

He nodded. "And it still is. But that's what I need to talk to you about." He leaned forward, elbows planted on his knees, head bowed. "Once I finish my degree in May, the next thing will be a master's in Astrophysics. That will take two years. After that? A PhD, and that'll be another five years. Then we're talking at least three years as a post-doctoral researcher. So by the time I get my first paycheck, I'll be in my thirties. And that's assuming I ever make it into NASA in the first place."

Aiden frowned. "Is there a point to all this?"

Will jerked his head up. "You can't saddle yourself with someone who can't pay his own way. It isn't fair. I know how much a teacher earns. My mom is a teacher, remember? I wouldn't want you to bear all that financial burden."

There was a knot in Aiden's stomach, and a heaviness in his limbs.

"You know I'm right, don't you?" Will's voice quaked.

Aiden knelt in front of Will, sitting back on his haunches. "Are you done? Because it's my turn." He cupped Will's chin, tilting his head toward Aiden. "You know, for such a smart man, you can be incredibly stupid."

Will blinked.

"Listen to me. I might have only known you for…" Aiden did a quick calculation. "Forty-two days, eleven hours and about twenty-seven minutes—not that I'm counting—but that's long enough to realize I'm not about to let you go. When you know, you know, right?"

That stifled little gasp was enough to tell Aiden he wasn't the only one who knew, and a sense of calm flooded through him.

"Yes, it'll be tough going, but you know what?" He knelt up, looking Will in the eye. "We will figure it out." He smiled. "You can't control this narrative, Will Bryant, any more than Becca could, and you saw what a mess she made of it. So stop trying to make all the pieces fit, and take life as it comes. You have five months until you graduate. And yes, during that time you'll have to make some decisions, but I'm gonna be there to make them with you." He leaned in and kissed Will on the mouth, his hand curved around the back of Will's head. "Do you want to know why I'll be there?"

Will swallowed. "I'm sure you're about to tell me."

"Because I love you, my stargazing, Douglas Adams-quoting, D & D-playing wonder nerd of a man. And before you tell me it's too soon for me to know that, let me remind you that my dad—"

"Knew he wanted to marry your mom about a month after they started dating," Will finished for him, smiling.

"So there you have it. Knowing our own mind clearly runs in the family. It's in the genes."

Will's breathing hitched. "Apparently it runs in my family too." His face glowed. "I love you too. I was yours the moment you came to help me up off the floor."

The door opened and Becca burst in. "Oh God."

Aiden lifted his eyebrows. "Come in, Becca. I'm only in the middle of something really important right now."

"Mom's done it again."

"Done what?"

"She's booked us a ballroom for the wedding. July twenty-second." Becca stared at him. "I'm getting married!"

"Make sure she's really booked it this time," Aiden said with a grin.

Becca looked from Aiden to Will. "Have I just interrupted something?"

Will started laughing, and Aiden had to join in. Will helped him to his feet.

"You're fine, Becca." Will gazed at him. "We'd said all the important stuff before you walked in on us."

"What are you all doing up there?" Mom hollered. "Becca, get down here. We've got a wedding to plan."

Becca rolled her eyes. "Coming, Mom."

Will grinned. "You know, I have the strangest feeling of déjà vu." He kissed Aiden on the cheek. "Thank you for listening to all that."

"Well, you've said it now, so you don't have to say it again." Aiden shook his head. "And there I was, looking forward to a relaxing Christmas."

Except he wouldn't change a thing.